2023 NBA Draft Class: Players to Watch in Contract Years

Contract years have a way of sharpening focus. For the 2023 NBA Draft class, that edge arrives now.

As they step into their fourth seasons, every first-rounder becomes eligible for a lucrative extension. Some, like Victor Wembanyama, already have their futures locked in. Many others are still playing for it. For fantasy managers, that mix of opportunity, pressure and ambition is exactly where value hides.

Here are six names who could turn that urgency into serious High Score production.

Brandon Miller – Ready to own Charlotte

RotoWire overall points rank: 42

Charlotte has been stripped back and handed to the kids. With LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges traded out, the ball will live in the hands of Brandon Miller and rookie Kon Knueppel.

Miller already owns the scoring résumé. He’s cleared 20 points per game in each of his last two seasons, an impressive return for a 23-year-old wing still learning how to bend defenses. Now he walks into a season where his usage should spike: more touches, more on-ball reps, more responsibility.

That means more than just points. Extra possessions should nudge his rebounds and assists up, and in a High Score format where ceiling nights win weeks, Miller fits perfectly. One or two explosive outings every week from a young forward on an “ascending” Hornets team is exactly the profile that can swing a league.

This is the year he can move from promising scorer to unquestioned No. 1 option — and from solid pick to fantasy star.

Keyonte George – Contract on the line in Utah

RotoWire overall points rank: 60

Keyonte George already kicked down the door. Last season, he averaged 23.6 points and 6.1 assists per game, grabbed the starting point guard job and didn’t let it go.

Now comes the next layer: money and expectations.

He’s eligible for a massive extension, but despite reported talks, that deal hasn’t landed yet. If it drags on, it only adds fuel. Players in this spot tend to lean into volume and production, and George has the role to do it.

Utah looks ready to push for the playoffs. That usually means heavy minutes for the lead guard, especially one surrounded by weapons like Jaren Jackson Jr., Darryn Peterson and Lauri Markkanen. With that kind of spacing and scoring around him, George is well-positioned to set a career high in assists for a fourth straight season.

A 22-year-old, locked into a scarce position, with room to grow and a sixth-round price tag? That’s the kind of profile fantasy managers usually chase a round earlier.

Ausar Thompson – Defense keeps him on the floor, opportunity can do the rest

RotoWire overall points rank: 82

The Thompson twins took different paths last season. Amen exploded in Houston and got paid with a five-year extension. Ausar stayed more muted in Detroit and is still waiting for his big contract.

That gap matters.

Detroit’s offseason did little to crowd him out offensively. Tobias Harris left for San Antonio, and the most notable replacement was John Collins. No high-usage scorer arrived to swallow possessions. The lane is open for Ausar to grow.

His defense already guarantees him minutes. He guards, he competes, he stays on the floor. The question is whether the offense catches up enough to turn him from glue guy into fantasy asset. In High Score formats, where his lack of 3-pointers doesn’t drag you down, the bet becomes even more appealing.

At around the eighth round, you’re not paying for a finished product. You’re paying for a high-minute wing whose situation still screams “breakout chance.”

Jaime Jaquez Jr. – From sixth man to primary option in Milwaukee

RotoWire overall points rank: 100

Jaime Jaquez Jr. spent last season doing all the little things off the bench in Miami and nearly walked away with the Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year award, finishing second in the voting. That alone made him interesting.

Then the trade happened.

Shipped to Milwaukee in the deal for Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaquez Jr. now walks into the best opportunity of his young career. He averaged 28.3 minutes per game last season while coming off the bench in 74 of 75 appearances. In Milwaukee, he enters camp as the favorite to start at small forward.

Rebuilding teams need adults on the floor who can score, pass and rebound without hijacking possessions. That’s Jaquez Jr.’s lane. He doesn’t need a superstar usage rate to fill a box score; he just needs minutes and freedom.

Those are finally on the table.

GG Jackson – Deep-league swing with real upside in Memphis

RotoWire overall points rank: Unranked

Unlike the rest of this group, GG Jackson wasn’t a first-rounder. As a second-round pick in the loaded 2023 class, he’s headed toward unrestricted free agency after 2026-27. That adds a different kind of urgency: every season is a chance to rewrite his market.

Memphis offers him that chance right now.

The Grizzlies rotation heading into camp is wide open, and Jackson is coming off a strong finish. Over his final 23 games last season, he averaged 17.9 points and 5.3 rebounds in just 25.7 minutes per night. Those are not empty numbers; they’re the kind of per-minute production that pops when minutes expand.

He’ll have to fight Jerami Grant and Cameron Boozer for time at the forward spots, but there should be enough minutes for all three to carve out fantasy relevance. For now, Jackson sits firmly in the “deep leagues only” bucket.

If the rotation breaks his way, that label won’t last long.

Dereck Lively II – Forgotten big with a clear path in Dallas

RotoWire overall points rank: Unranked

Dereck Lively II is easy to overlook. He played just seven games last season, disappeared from most draft boards and now sits outside RotoWire’s top 150.

Ignore him at your own risk.

Dallas is expected to split center minutes between Lively II and Daniel Gafford, and both have already shown they can’t always be trusted to stay on the floor. That volatility creates opportunity. The big man who strings together a healthy run will become the one fantasy managers scramble to add.

In very deep leagues, Lively II already deserves a late look. In category formats where field-goal percentage carries real weight, his profile becomes even more attractive toward the end of drafts.

The Mavericks will need a reliable anchor in the middle. One of these two will grab that role. If it’s Lively, those who quietly invested will be glad they did.

Contract seasons don’t guarantee breakouts. They do guarantee urgency. For fantasy managers willing to lean into that edge, this 2023 class offers several chances to get in before the stat lines — and the salaries — catch up.